Derna: the furious population sets fire to the mayor’s house after the devastating flood
Hundreds of people protested on Wednesday in the eastern Libyan city of Derna , venting anger at the authorities and demanding that public representatives be held accountable, a week after a flood killed thousands of residents and destroyed entire neighborhoods.
Protesters targeted some officials, including the head of the eastern Libyan parliament, Aguila Saleh, during the demonstration in front of the Sahaba mosque. Some sat on the roof in front of the golden dome, a Derna landmark.
Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi's house was attacked and set on fire by crowds enraged by the flood destruction. You can see the related video attached here from Anonyme Citoyen's telegram
Hichem Abu Chkiouat, a minister in the government of eastern Libya, said Ghaithi had been suspended from his post. The mayor left the scene and does not appear to be contactable by journalists.
The parallel government in eastern Libya said Prime Minister Usama Hamad had fired all members of the Derna municipal council and referred them for investigation.
Monday's protest marks the first major demonstration since the floods that engulfed Derna when two dams in the hills outside the city failed during a powerful storm, unleashing a devastating flood that swept across the city leading to thousands of deaths.
“Aguila we don't want you! All Libyans are brothers!” protesters chanted, calling for national unity in a country left politically fractured by more than a decade of conflict and chaos. The destruction brought by floods in the desert areas of the east could lead to political changes in that area of the North African country.
In the meantime, aid from Libya and the Mediterranean area has arrived in the city, including an Italian civil protection ship with helicopters and bulldozers, but there are hundreds of corpses thrown back from the sea onto the beaches.
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The article Derna: the furious population sets fire to the mayor's house after the devastating flood comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/derna-la-popolazione-furiosa-da-fuoco-alla-casa-del-sindaco-dopo-la-devastante-alluvione/ on Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:00:36 +0000.